The Early Bird catches the Tusk

So here I am in Tower Records at about half eight last Saturday morning. And that's Doctor J and his daughter off to the right of the picture. What are we doing? We're looking at the stack of records that we picked up in the early moments of Record Store Day and debating whether we really need all of them. A 20th anniversary reissue of the Manic Street Preachers' 'Design for Life'? Yes, obviously I need that. A box of Bryan Ferry's 1970s solo singles? Well, I really want it but do I need it? Splash! Back in the water it goes. All of The Monkees' records gathered together in a lovely box? That's a matter for the Doctor to decide - I'm in no position to comment. 

Record Store Day has its critics and I don't really know what to say about that - except to shrug helplessly and say that life's not fair and that, in business, you're always going to find the big guy squeezing out the little guy. And like most things that start out small before snowballing into something much bigger - as Record Store day seems to have - there'll always be people who aren't happy with the change. But speaking as a punter I love getting in there early and grabbing whatever I can before it's all gone. And - hey - it's only once a year. 

In the end I came home with eight records on Saturday morning. I know that seems like a lot - but when you divide the amount of enjoyment they'll give me by their cost in filthy cash, and project that over the rest of my time spent listening to music, it's really not that much at all, is it? It's ok - I get that, to a lot of people, it makes no sense to queue up early in the morning to scramble with a bunch of other men (it's almost always men) of a similar vintage over some limited (and not so limited) edition records. But then people do lots of things that make no sense to me and I'm happy to just let them off with it. Besides, it's fun. And they give out free donuts and coffee too. 

Here's the eight records that I, ahem, limited myself to on Saturday. They've already earned their keep. Except for the Manics - think I might have called that one wrong.

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
Kings of Convenience - Riot on an Empty Street
Manic Street Preachers - A Design for Life
Elvis - I'm Leavin'
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk (Alternate)
Eleanore Mills - This is Eleanore Mills
Kings of Conveneince - Quiet is the New Loud
Richmond Fontaine - You Can't Go Back If There's Nothing To Go Back To